Contents

Background

In the 1920s, Florence C. Casler, a pioneering woman real estate developer and contractor, developed the Textile Center Building as a center for garment manufacturing. She hired architect William Douglas Lee to design the Gothic Revival style building. The building was completed in 1926 and the grand opening included a fashion show featuring clothing made in Los Angeles. The building housed Florence Casler's office through the height of her career. Within one year of being built, Textile Center was at capacity with 56 tenants, all in the wholesale garment industry. The building was sold in 1945.

In 2005, the building was converted into loft-style condominiums by Forest City Residential West Group. Renovations of the building's interior began in January 2005 to make way for 64 condominiums and 5,000 square feet of retail space. Textile Building Lofts is now part of the Santee Village Loft Complex.[1]

The Textile Center Building has been recognized as a historic building at both the local and national levels. In April 2002, it was designated a Historic Cultural Monument (No. 712) by the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission and in 2005 it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.[2][3]

Location

Textile Building Lofts are located on the corner of East Eighth Street and Maple Avenue in the Downtown Los Angeles Fashion District. The building is part of the Santee Village Loft complex. The complex has a large array of shared amenities including a rooftop pool and basketball court. There's also a market in the complex and a food park.

The LA Fashion District spans about 100 blocks and it is the center of the textile industry on the West Coast of the United States. It isn't just about clothing, however. The Fashion District has good access to all amenities including apparel, textiles, restaurants, grocery stores, and apartment buildings.[4]

The metro bus/rail system and DASH bus lines throughout Downtown Los Angles make traveling via public transportation easy and convenient. There are over 40 bus and metro stops within a few blocks of Textile Building Lofts.

Construction

Historic Textile Center Building

Textile Building Lofts (formerly the Textile Center Building) is a 12-story Gothic Revival building completed in 1926. It is made of concrete with a brick facade.

In 2006, the building was converted into condominiums by Forest City Residential West Group as part of MJW Investments' $130 million conversion of nine former garment buildings into live/work lofts and retail space.[5]

The renovation included a new rooftop terrace and pool as well as changes to the interior of the building. The apartments are fitted with all the modern conveniences, but still reflect the building's past with concrete floors, high ceilings, and large industrial-style windows.

Layout and Features

The Textile Loft Building was converted for use as both a residential and commercial building in 2005. The ground floor was converted to commercial space, while the upper floors became residential. The conversion also included a huge rooftop terrace which has a pool, hot tub, driving range, barbecue area, and lots of space to relax.

The apartment features include original polished concrete floors and large windows as well as modern conveniences such as stainless steel Bosch appliances, six-foot bathtubs, energy efficient heating and air-conditioning, and laundry hookups. Some units also include private balconies.[6]

Floor Plans

Numerous studio, one bedroom, and two bedroom floor plans are available at Textile Building Lofts with live/work options available.

floor plans for one story

Amenities

Textile Building Lofts is located in the Santee Village loft complex. Santee Village amenities include:

• Rooftop pool and hot tub

• Rooftop basketball court

• Rooftop barbecue area

• Rooftop putting green and mini driving range

• Landscaped promenade

• Garden and fountain

• 24-hour courtesy patrol

• Gated parking

Rooftop pool

Rooftop barbecue area

Fitness center

Landscaped promenade

Garden and fountain

Gothic-revival facade

Bylaws

Textile Building Lofts Bylaws

Rentals

Yes

Pets

Yes

Age

No

Barbecues

Yes

• This building allows pets

• The building allows rentals

• No restrictions on age are placed on residents

• Communal rooftop barbecue area

Sustainability

Textile Building Lofts was not designed as a green building, however the lofts designed in 2005 do include some energy efficient appliances and energy efficient heating and air-conditioning. Proximity to public transit also allows residents to option to shrink their carbon footprint.

Trivia

Developer Florence Casler in 1931

In 2008, the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission recognized Florence Casler (the 1926 developer of the Textile Building) as "one of the first women in the early 20th century to head a company in the field of development and construction of high-rise buildings." [7]

The Textile Building Lofts building has been designated a historic building and has therefore been awarded a reduced property tax with The Mills Act.